Amazon is betting big on Indian content. At its first Prime Video Presents India showcase in April, the streaming platform announced 41 new titles spanning several genres and Indian languages, to be launched over the next two years.
New Amazon Originals include Farzi, which will mark the small screen debut of Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor. It also stars South Indian superstar Vijay Sethupathi and is directed by acclaimed duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK. Telugu heart-throb Naga Chaitanya will also make his streaming platform debut with Dhootha, a supernatural horror series. And Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra will front an action series titled Indian Police Force.
Modern Love Mumbai, the Hindi version of the American series Modern Love, inspired by a New York Times column of the same name, debuted in May 13. Two more localised versions, Modern Love Hyderabad in Telugu and Modern Love Chennai in Tamil, are also in the works.
Amazon also announced the return of its beloved series Made in Heaven, which was released in 2019, as well as popular shows Paatal Lok, Four More Shots Please! and The Family Man.
At the star-studded event — attended by many of the show's cast members, hosted by Bollywood director and producer Karan Johar — the company also launched its transactional video-on-demand movie rental service in India. Through it, customers can now rent the latest movies on the Prime Video App.
“Our mission has been to tell compelling, authentic and rooted stories that not just connect with audiences in India but resonate with audiences across the world," said Aparna Purohit, head of India Originals at Amazon Prime Video. "As we move forward, we are excited to partner with some of the most prolific creators to bring forth powerful stories across different formats, genres and languages for our customers."
Here are 17 new Indian shows to watch out for:
1. 'Farzi' (Hindi)
In this thriller marking the streaming platform debut of Bollywood star Kapoor, a small-time artist working out of his grandfather’s printing press designs the ultimate con job — printing money. But he soon gets pulled into the murky, high-stakes world of crime, while a fiery task force officer makes it his mission to rid the country of the menace.
South Indian star Sethupathi stars alongside Raashi Khanna and Kay Kay Menon, while Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, popularly known as Raj & DK, direct.
2. 'Dhootha' (Telugu)
Telugu superstar Chaitanya also makes his web series debut with this supernatural horror in which possessed inanimate objects wreak havoc on the lives of people who commit deadly sins. Prachi Desai and Parvathy Thiruvothu also star in the series.
3. 'Adhura' (Hindi)
Rasika Dugal leads this supernatural thriller set in an elite boarding school. When the school's dark and dreadful secrets are discovered, they threaten the lives of everyone connected to it.
4. 'Dahaad' (Hindi)
Reema Kagti, who wrote Made in Heaven, directs (and co-writes) this thriller along with Ruchika Oberoi. Set in a small town, the show stars Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha as a female inspector on the trail of a serial killer whose crimes shake her to her core.
Starring Juhi Chawla, Ayesha Jhulka, Soha Ali Khan, Karishma Tanna and Shahana Goswami in lead roles, this show follows five women whose lives intersect in unexpected ways when an unforeseen event unravels, threatening to reveal their deepest darkest secrets.
6. 'Indian Police Force' (Hindi)
Known for his bombastic police films, Bollywood director Rohit Shetty helms this action thriller about a young Delhi Police officer who will go to any length to track down and bring to justice the terrorist mastermind behind a series of deadly bomb blasts around the country. Sidharth Malhotra stars, alongside Shilpa Shetty, Vivek Oberoi and Isha Talwar.
7. 'Jubilee' (Hindi)
From the mind of acclaimed director Vikramaditya Motwane, the creator of hit Netflix series Sacred Games, this new show is set in newly independent India and unravels the stories that gave birth to what we now know as Bollywood.
Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee plays the lead alongside Aditi Rao Hydari and Aparshakti Khurana.
8. 'Sweet Kaaram Coffee' (Tamil)
Acclaimed South Indian director Bejoy Nambiar co-directs this Tamil series about three generations of women from the same family who brave the unknown and set off on an epic road trip. Actresses Lakshmi, Madhoo and Santhy Balachandran play the leads.
9. 'The Village' (Tamil)
India’s first show based on a graphic novel, The Village follows a family on a road trip that falls victim to a clan of mutants. The all-star cast includes Arya, Divya Pillai and Jayaprakash.
10. 'Neeyat' (Hindi)
Acclaimed Bollywood actress Vidya Balan reunites with her Shakuntala Devi director Anu Menon (who's also directed two episodes of Killing Eve) with this film, a thriller about a mysterious death at a billionaire's birthday getaway. Hoping to find an answer is detective Mira Rao who unravels devious motives as the suspects are all of the billionaire's close friends and family.
Balan leads an ensemble cast that includes Ram Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Mita Vashisht, Neeraj Kabi, Dipannita Sharma and Shashank Arora.
11. 'Maja Maa' (Hindi)
Veteran Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit Nene stars in this comedy feature about a loving mother who unwittingly becomes a hurdle to her son’s marriage plans. Anand Tiwari, best known for his 2018 hit Love per Square Foot, directs.
12. 'Ram Setu' (Hindi)
Scheduled for release in cinemas on October 24, this Amazon Prime Video co-production will be available on the streaming platform soon after.
The long-delayed Bollywood film, named after the limestone shoals connecting India and Sri Lanka, stars Akshay Kumar as an archaeologist. An atheist-turned-believer, he must race against time to prove the true existence of the mythical Ram Setu bridge before evil forces destroy the pillar of India’s heritage. Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha also star.
13. 'Jee Karda' (Hindi)
A coming-of-age series delving into the lives of a close knit group of seven childhood friends trying to steer their way through adulthood. The cast includes Tamannaah Bhatia, Suhail Nayyar, Aashim Gulati, Anya Singh, Hussain Dalal, Samvedna Suwalka and Sayan Banerjee.
14. 'PI Meena' (Hindi)
She was the breakout star of the Netflix and BBC series A Suitable Boy. Now, Tanya Maniktala fronts her own series, this time playing a private investigator who has to fight her own demons as she investigates a case.
15. 'Bambai Meri Jaan' (Hindi)
Another retro setting, this show follows an honest cop who puts everything on the line to clean up the streets of Bombay as organised crime rises in post-Independence India in the 1940s. Acclaimed actor Kay Kay Menon plays the lead along with Kritika Kamra, Avinash Tiwary and Amyra Dastur.
The series has no relation to the acclaimed 2008 film Mumbai Meri Jaan, which also starred Menon.
16. 'Gulkanda Tales' (Hindi)
Very little is known about this series also from Raj and DK, except that it will mark their third collaboration with actor Kunal Kemmu. Pankaj Tripathi and Patralekha also star in the series, which has, according to the show's creators, already wrapped.
For now, we'll just have to go with the show's tagline — "It's kinda epic" — which, going by Raj and DK's reputation, already promises a wild ride.
17. 'This is AP Dhillon' (Punjabi/English)
A breakout talent in Punjabi hip-hop, this all access reality documentary follows AP Dhillon's meteoric rise to stardom and takes viewers behind the scenes of his musical journey — a story that will celebrate Punjabi identity on a global scale.
Release dates are yet to be announced for all titles
— A version of this story was originally published on April 29, 2022
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
57%20Seconds
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Pathaan
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